Autonomous mobile robot and movement control method

Abstract

A controller of a mobile object causes the mobile object to move by a first control amount corresponding to a first velocity absolute value and a first velocity direction. If the controller detects that first information indicating a first velocity of a first communication-partner mobile object is ceased to be received, the controller decides on a second control amount by which the mobile object is to be moved based on the first information that has already been received, the second control amount corresponding to a second velocity absolute value and a second velocity direction. The controller decides on, based on the first control amount and the second control amount, a third control amount corresponding to a third velocity absolute value and a third velocity direction, and causes the mobile object to move by switching from the first control amount to the third control amount.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An autonomous mobile robot that autonomously moves while communicating with a communication-partner autonomous mobile robot, comprising:
 a driver that drives the autonomous mobile robot; 
 a controller that outputs a first control command to the driver, the first control command causing the autonomous mobile robot to move by a first control amount corresponding to any one of a set of a first movement distance and a first movement direction, a set of a first velocity absolute value and a first velocity direction, and a set of a first acceleration absolute value and a first acceleration direction; and 
 a communicator that receives, from a first communication-partner autonomous mobile robot that is different from the autonomous mobile robot and forms a network together with the autonomous mobile robot, first information indicating any one of a first position, a first velocity, and a first acceleration of the first communication-partner autonomous mobile robot, wherein 
 if the controller detects that the first information is ceased to be received by the communicator, the controller decides on a second control amount by which the autonomous mobile robot is to be moved based on the first information that has already been received, the second control amount corresponding to any one of a set of a second movement distance and a second movement direction, a set of a second velocity absolute value and a second velocity direction, and a set of a second acceleration absolute value and a second acceleration direction, 
 the controller decides on, based on the first control amount and the second control amount, a third control amount corresponding to any one of a set of a third movement distance and a third movement direction, a set of a third velocity absolute value and a third velocity direction, and a set of a third acceleration absolute value and a third acceleration direction, and 
 the controller generates a second control command and outputs the second control command to the driver, the second control command causing the autonomous mobile robot to move by switching from the first control amount to the third control amount. 
 
     
     
       2. The autonomous mobile robot according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the first communication-partner autonomous mobile robot includes a plurality of first communication-partner autonomous mobile robots, and 
 the communicator receives the first information from each of the plurality of first communication-partner autonomous mobile robots. 
 
     
     
       3. The autonomous mobile robot according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the communicator further receives, from a second communication-partner autonomous mobile robot that is different from the autonomous mobile robot and the first communication-partner autonomous mobile robot and forms the network together with the autonomous mobile robot, second information indicating any one of a second position, a second velocity, and a second acceleration of the second communication-partner autonomous mobile robot, and 
 if the controller detects that the first information is ceased to be received by the communicator, the controller decides on, based on the second information, the second control amount. 
 
     
     
       4. The autonomous mobile robot according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the second communication-partner autonomous mobile robot includes a plurality of second communication-partner autonomous mobile robots, and 
 the communicator receives the second information from each of the plurality of second communication-partner autonomous mobile robots. 
 
     
     
       5. The autonomous mobile robot according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the controller obtains third information indicating a current position of the autonomous mobile robot, 
 the controller calculates, based on the first information and the third information, a distance between the autonomous mobile robot and the first communication-partner autonomous mobile robot, and 
 the controller decides on, based on the distance, the second control amount. 
 
     
     
       6. The autonomous mobile robot according to  claim 5 , wherein the controller decreases the second movement distance, the second velocity absolute value, or the second acceleration absolute value as the distance decreases. 
     
     
       7. The autonomous mobile robot according to  claim 5 , wherein the controller decreases the second movement distance, the second velocity absolute value, or the second acceleration absolute value as the distance increases. 
     
     
       8. The autonomous mobile robot according to  claim 1 , wherein if the controller detects that the first information is ceased to be received by the communicator, the controller outputs a third control command to the driver after a predetermined time period elapses from when the second control command is output to the driver, the third control command causing the autonomous mobile robot to move by switching from the third control amount to the first control amount. 
     
     
       9. The autonomous mobile robot according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the first information includes the first position, and 
 if the controller detects that the first information is ceased to be received by the communicator, the controller determines whether or not a distance between the first position and a third position is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the third position being a position of the autonomous mobile robot after the second control command is output to the driver, and if the controller determines that the distance is equal to or less than the predetermined value, the controller outputs a third control command to the driver, the third control command causing the autonomous mobile robot to move by switching from the third control amount to the first control amount. 
 
     
     
       10. The autonomous mobile robot according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a memory, wherein 
 the communicator further receives, from a second communication-partner autonomous mobile robot that is different from the autonomous mobile robot and the first communication-partner autonomous mobile robot and forms the network together with the autonomous mobile robot, second information indicating any one of a second position, a second velocity, and a second acceleration of the second communication-partner autonomous mobile robot, 
 the memory stores fourth information including the first information and the second information, and 
 the controller updates the fourth information stored in the memory by deleting the first information from the fourth information after outputting the third control command to the driver. 
 
     
     
       11. The autonomous mobile robot according to  claim 10 , wherein the controller causes the communicator to transmit the fourth information to the second communication-partner autonomous mobile robot after updating the fourth information. 
     
     
       12. The autonomous mobile robot according to  claim 1 , wherein if the controller detects that the first information is ceased to be received by the communicator and then detects that the first information is restarted to be received by the communicator, the controller outputs a third control command to the driver, the third control command causing the autonomous mobile robot to move by switching from the third control amount to the first control amount. 
     
     
       13. The autonomous mobile robot according to  claim 12 , wherein
 the first communication-partner autonomous mobile robot includes a plurality of first communication-partner autonomous mobile robots, and 
 the communicator receives the first information again from each of the plurality of first communication-partner autonomous mobile robots. 
 
     
     
       14. The autonomous mobile robot according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a memory that stores fourth information including the first information and the second information, wherein 
 after the second communication-partner autonomous mobile robot updates fifth information that includes information indicating the autonomous mobile robot and information indicating a third communication-partner autonomous mobile robot by deleting the information indicating the third communication-partner autonomous mobile robot from the fifth information, the second communication-partner autonomous mobile robot transmits the fifth information to the autonomous mobile robot, 
 the communicator receives the fifth information from the second communication-partner autonomous mobile robot, and 
 the controller updates the fourth information stored in the memory to the fifth information. 
 
     
     
       15. The autonomous mobile robot according to  claim 14 , wherein the third communication-partner autonomous mobile robot is the first communication-partner autonomous mobile robot. 
     
     
       16. The autonomous mobile robot according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the communicator further receives, from a second communication-partner autonomous mobile robot that is different from the autonomous mobile robot and the first communication-partner autonomous mobile robot and forms the network together with the autonomous mobile robot, second information indicating any one of a second position, a second velocity, and a second acceleration of the second communication-partner autonomous mobile robot, 
 the controller decides on, based on the second information, a fourth control amount corresponding to any one of a set of a fourth movement distance and a fourth movement direction, a set of a fourth velocity absolute value and a fourth velocity direction, and a set of a fourth acceleration absolute value and a fourth acceleration direction, and 
 the controller updates, based on the fourth control amount, the first control amount. 
 
     
     
       17. The autonomous mobile robot according to  claim 16 , wherein
 the second information includes the second position, and 
 the controller decides on, based on a distance calculated from a current position of the autonomous mobile robot and the second position, the fourth control amount. 
 
     
     
       18. The autonomous mobile robot according to  claim 17 , wherein the controller decreases the fourth movement distance, the fourth velocity absolute value, or the fourth acceleration absolute value as the distance decreases. 
     
     
       19. The autonomous mobile robot according to  claim 17 , wherein the controller increases the fourth movement distance, the fourth velocity absolute value, or the fourth acceleration absolute value as the distance decreases. 
     
     
       20. The autonomous mobile robot according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a memory that stores a movement path of the autonomous mobile robot, wherein 
 the controller decides on, based on a fourth control amount corresponding to any one of a set of a fourth movement distance and a fourth movement direction, a set of a fourth velocity absolute value and a fourth velocity direction, and a set of a fourth acceleration absolute value and a fourth acceleration direction, the first control amount, 
 the fourth movement distance, the fourth velocity absolute value, or the fourth acceleration absolute value is a predetermined value, and 
 the fourth movement direction, the fourth velocity direction, or the fourth acceleration direction is opposite to a movement direction specified by the movement path. 
 
     
     
       21. A movement control method for an autonomous mobile robot that autonomously moves while communicating with a communication-partner autonomous mobile robot, comprising:
 outputting a first control command that causes the autonomous mobile robot to move by a first control amount corresponding to any one of a set of a first movement distance and a first movement direction, a set of a first velocity absolute value and a first velocity direction, and a set of a first acceleration absolute value and a first acceleration direction; 
 receiving, from a first communication-partner autonomous mobile robot that is different from the autonomous mobile robot and forms a network together with the autonomous mobile robot, first information indicating any one of a first position, a first velocity, and a first acceleration of the first communication-partner autonomous mobile robot; 
 if a detection is made that the first information is ceased to be received, deciding on a second control amount by which the autonomous mobile robot is to be moved based on the first information that has already been received, the second control amount corresponding to any one of a set of a second movement distance and a second movement direction, a set of a second velocity absolute value and a second velocity direction, and a set of a second acceleration absolute value and a second acceleration direction; 
 deciding on, based on the first control amount and the second control amount, a third control amount corresponding to any one of a set of a third movement distance and a third movement direction, a set of a third velocity absolute value and a third velocity direction, and a set of a third acceleration absolute value and a third acceleration direction; and 
 generating and outputting a second control command that causes the autonomous mobile robot to move by switching from the first control amount to the third control amount.